Kristen is a home­maker, home­schooler, and a home­keeper. Her experience includes nineteen years of practice, raising three kids, a husband, and a dog. Writing about her life helps her stay sane. She believes that sharing stories helps others by providing opportunities to share advice (and helpful hints) about homeschooling, and raising kids on the autism spectrum, while supporting marriages and families that are striving to thrive.

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We're All a Little Mad Here

It is truly the most beautiful season in Virginia. While spring ushers in lovely blooms, and the cherry trees are to die for, the fall season is so vibrant and rich and colorful. Can you even imagine Virginia without it? I certainly can't, and there are thousands of ways to take advantage of the season. Lucky for you, I'm only going to mention five of them.

Numero uno is: go outside!! Go. Move. Unplug. Take yourself and your family out. Go for a walk, go for a hike, go for a drive. We have so many state parks right here in Northern Virginia to enjoy at our leisure. My favorite is Prince William Forest Park. There are plenty of trails, and tons of trees. Fredericksburg boasts some really beautiful parks, too. In fact there are too many to list! So, go out and visit a park today. Your body and your family will thank you. A park ranger just might thank you, too!

Second, find a fall festival near you. Seriously, we Virginians celebrate the fall in style. There are Oktoberfest and wine and cider fests (you're welcome), craft fairs, apple harvests and pumpkin patches. In Fredericksburg and Stafford alone we have Braehead Farm, Sneads Farm, Belvedere Plantation, and Cows and Corn. There is truly something for everyone, whether you are headed out with the whole family, or just a date night, I'm positive there is a fall festival just for you to enjoy.

Decorating is my number three way to make fall fabulous. I love the colors of the season, so I put out pumpkins and gourds on the porch, on the table, on the hearth, on the shelf, etc. It is not only easy to decorate in the fall, but it is colorful! The grass is already dead, so I don't have to stress about trying to make that look good, and the leaves are so pretty that I don't have to stress about them, either. Also, Halloween is becoming almost as decorative as the winter holiday season! I do “happy” Halloween, only, but a lot of my neighbors do a more festive scary Halloween theme, which is just as fun to enjoy (from afar... I'm a scardy-cat!).

Which leads us to number four… Halloween!!! Whether or not you celebrate Halloween, the day of the dead, or the autumn equinox, Fall is a great time to throw a party. The costumes are fun, especially for little ones. Candy is abundant, and party favors are festive in lieu of sweets. My tweenager wants to have a masquerade ball, while the oldest two are happy just trick-or-treating. Dressing up, enjoying the weather, and having some treats are a great way to round out October.

And finally, number five, is pumpkin spice everything. I love, love, love pumpkin spice latte season! I love pumpkin pie, pumpkin squash, pumpkin cake. My son and I are crazy for pumpkin treats. If you don't like pumpkin, that's ok, because it is also salted caramel season. So, there you go. Again, there is something for everyone! Pumpkins, apples, caramel -- how can you go wrong?